Eric Jaeshon Ray, also known as “Brody,” 32, has been sentenced to eight years and one month in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. The sentencing took place in Charleston, West Virginia.
Court records show that between May and July 2025, Ray and co-defendant Franklin Fitzgerald Elly conspired with others to distribute fentanyl in the St. Albans area of Kanawha County. During this period, Ray distributed fentanyl on four occasions to a confidential informant with Elly’s assistance.
Law enforcement officers searched an apartment where Ray was staying and found two loaded pistols, about 250 grams of fentanyl, roughly 236 grams of oxycodone, and $4,000. Authorities held Ray responsible for possessing or distributing approximately one pound of fentanyl.
Ray’s criminal history includes a previous felony conviction for assault with intent to murder and a misdemeanor conviction for assault and battery.
Ray and Elly are among 16 people indicted following a federal investigation into the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area from June 2024 to May 2025. Five defendants from the main indictment have pleaded guilty. Ray and Elly are among four other defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases stemming from the same investigation. Elly, also known as “Costco,” is scheduled for sentencing on February 9, 2026 after pleading guilty on September 2, 2025. The indictments against remaining defendants are pending; all are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
United States Attorney Moore Capito acknowledged the investigative efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which includes several local law enforcement agencies.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin handed down the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Further information can be found by searching Case No. 2:25-cr-128 on PACER or visiting the U.S. Attorney’s Office website.
